Tesla released one of their most useful software updates recently, it’s unclear how soon every Tesla currently on the road will get the update but it has a promising feature many Model S owners will be thankful to have.

Tesla Motors' ever-expanding supercharger network has made being a Tesla owner easier and easier, which is good since that’s their goal. However, the current superchargers have one huge drawback. They split the charge when two vehicles are plugged in.

The charger itself only supplies 72KW therefor, if you’re all out of open chargers and must double up you and the other Tesla only charge half as fast. This can be a bit of a nuisance in densely populated areas with many Tesla owners.

Tesla's Useful Solutions

Tesla has unveiled a new solution to this. They’re testing new supercharger stations in two cities, Chicago (10 units) and Boston (8 units), dubbed the “Urban Supercharger” these chargers are not only smaller and more compact, but they provide an individual plug and a dedicated 72KW to each car that’s currently charging, no more charge splitting. Additionally, with the smaller size and footprint of these new chargers Tesla plans to employ them in less accessible places where the current supercharges would be too “tricky” to fit, Tesla’s pricing also remains unchanged from current supercharger rates.

Tesla’s also integrated another way of solving the problem of split charge in the form of a new feature in maps from the recent software update. This integrates charger power availability into the maps already on-board of the supercharger locations. No longer do you have to drive to a station just to find out it’s full and be forced to look elsewhere for power. The intelligent mapping now gives owners the ability to drive 10 minutes out of the way to an empty charging station to save them an hour of charging time since they won’t be forced to split charge with another owner.

The combination of these two solutions should make journeys into the city and across the country even faster and easier in your Tesla. What do you think about Tesla’s new “urban superchargers” and are you one of the lucky few near the test units?